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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. rest — a break
  3. rest — what's left
  4. scale — size or range
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. court — of law
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. court — of a king
  9. land — to come down
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. scale — in music
  12. lean — to bend
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. court — for sport
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. lean — thin
  17. rest — what's left
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. land — ground
  20. fine — high quality
  21. land — a country
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. fine — all right

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com